Fire extinguishing nozzle



Sept. 14, 1943. T. w. BURNAM FIRE EXTINGUISHING NOZZLE Filed July 7, 1941 Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE EXTINGUISHING NOZZLE Thompson W. Burnam, Inglewood, Calif. "Application July I, 1941, Serial No. 401,315

Claims.

The present invention relates to automatic spray heads of the type that are placed in structures that entail fire hazard and are intended to be automatically opened by the heat of the fire.

There are at present many installations of alltomatic spray heads including fusible links in- Fire extinguishing nozzles operating upon the impingement system, and of the type described,

for example, in Patent No. 2,235,258 to William Walter Jones, issued March 18, 1941, and described in the pending application of Raymond W. Larter, Serial No. 379,178, filed on February 17, 1941, are effective for extinguishing fires although using but a relatively small quantity of water.

It is the object of, the present invention to provide a fire extinguishing nozzle of the impinging jet type with a means including a fusible link by which such impinging jet form of nozzle may be automatically released by the heat of the fire. It is a further part of the principal object of the present invention to provide a structure which may be produced by a simple modification of installations previously equipped with conventional sprinkler heads making use ofthe automatic release means of such sprinkler heads (including their fusible links) for the purpose of operating the nozzle or nozzles operating on the impinging Jet principle.

By means of the present invention, a device is provided which may be interposed between the water supply system and the conventional sprinkler head for forming a water spray by the impinging jet principle and connected to the fusible elements of the conventional spray head.

in such manner that such fusible elements may be made to control the release of water through the impinging jet nozzle without permitting the flow of water through the conventional sprinkler head.

The device of the present invention, together with various objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from a description of a preferred form or example of a device embodying the invention. For this purpose, I have hereinafter described a preferred form of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 is an elevation mainly in vertical sec tion of one form of the device.

Figure 2 is an elevation mainly in a vertical section of a modified form of device.

Referring to the drawing, I generally indicates a water supply line having a coupling 2. In normal installations, the socket of the coupling 2 is screw-threaded to a conventional sprinkler head 3, which consists of a nipple 4 having the outlet 5 and the curved arms 6 supporting a starshaped target I in position to break up into a spray the water discharged from the outlet 5. For closing such outlet until released-by the heat of the fire, such conventional sprinkler head is provided with a cap 8 contacting a. bar 9, which in turn contacts a. substantially horizontal bar H) which engages a pin ll held by the arms 6. A diagonal fusible link I 2 is provided between the bars 9 and i0 and is so arranged that upon fusing of the link I! the cap 8 will be released to be forced off the outlet by the pressure behind the water supply mains to the device.

For the purpose of the present invention, I bodily retain such conventional sprinkler head but disconnect the same from the coupling 2 and interpose a nozzle H of the type intended to form a water spray by the impinging jet principle. The nozzle ll consists of two members l5 and iii, the lower member l6 having a threaded portion I! for engagement with the coupling 2 and preferably supporting a screen l8 for the purpose of screening the water supplied to the nozzle and to prevent scale or foreign particles from clogging the orifices of the device. The lower member i6 is indicated as provided with an enlargement is -forming a water chamber back of the plurality of pairs of orifices 20. The orifices 20 areformed in a V-shaped groove II of the body, each pair of orifices being arranged to form impinging jets of water, which impinging jets upon striking each other will subdivide the water into the form of a spray of uniform droplets of water. The design of the water chamber, the orifice diameters and angles of the orifices are preferably made to accord with the disclosure of the aforementioned patent to Jones. The body is preferably provided with a plurality of such pairs of orifices spaced uniformly apart circumferentially, and the spacings'of the pairs of orifices are practically in accordance with the disclosure of the aforementioned Larter application in order that the spray of Water formed by each adjacent pair of orifices will be properly combined to form a single spray pattern from the nozzle. I have also indicated additional pairs of impinging jets 22, which may be formed below the enlargement, and other pairs of impinging jets 23, which may be formed above the enlargement.

The upper member i5 of the nozzle provides a. socket 24 into which the end of the conventional sprinkler head is threaded. This member also. has an opening 25 through which the operating stem of the automatic release means may pass.

For closing the orifices of the nozzle I4 I provide a gasket 26 seated against a shoulder 21 of the inlet to the member IS, the gasket 26,,

thus serving as a valve head. This gasket 26 is engaged by a valve stem 28, which is preferably reduced at its end, as indicated at 29, to permit the valve head to have a rocking action relative to the valve stem. The valve stem extends through the opening of the upper member I5 and contactsthe cap 8 of the conventional sprinkler head, so that as long as the cap 8 is retained against the "outlet by the fusible link structure the stem 28 will firmly hold the gasket or valve head 26 against the inlet and thereby exclude passage of iwater through 'the orifices of the nozzle M. "In order to insure the proper operation of the device,;I provide a. relatively loose fit between the stem 28 and :the member l5 of the nozzle, and I reduce the diameter of the stem 28, as indicated at 30. ,Within the socket of the upper member l5,aI provide a gasket F, or a'second valve head, having an opening therethrough of a size of-;the reduced diameter sired, to be operated by a single fusible link means. It i also obvious that the imping g let nozzle It may be mounted in any position, upright or horizontal as the particular hazard conditions dictate.

While the particular forms of the invention herein described are well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made, and this invention includes in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: '1. In a device of the class described, a nozzle all such modifications and changes as come withmember;1having a-plurality of orifices in its walls ber and contacting said valve head for retaining Y the same closed, said stem'extending exterior of the member and provided with a second valve of thestem, which-gasketis, therefore, adapted to be engaged by the shouldertof the stem and forced againstthe inlet to the conventional sprinkler head, upon release of the cap 8, to thereby inhibit the passage of the water throughthe' out- Now, referring more particularlyto, Figurez L head to be closed by the movement of said stem 2 for releasing the firstvalve head, anda. fusible link means for controllingthii releaseor said stem 2. Ina device'of the described/a nozzle for providing a water 'chambertrom which a pin-g rallty of pairs or orifices lead, said orifices being arranged to form impinging Jet's, said nozzleina" cludingla bodymember and a socket member,

means for attaching said bodymember to a water supply system, avalve head for said body meme ber, a stemcontacting said valve head and loosely; passing through an openingln said socket ,mem- I ber, means forming a closure for said socket member and providedwith a fusible link for COIl-fl trolling the release of said stem, ahead within said socket member and movable upon the release of said stem for closing the outlet from said [1i socket member.-

of the drawing, I have shown aisomewhat-modi fied method of adding the impinging type of. nozzle II to spray installations having the conventional head, anclkin' thezfigure' I have indicated the parts in a similar manner to those employedin Figure I and by similar reference characters.

In Figure 2 I employ a coupling 3i between l the water supply line i land the conventional ing to the impingement "letianozzle ,which in 2 this easeis shown as positioned inadepending, position. The socket o'mhe member; l5 of the nozzle I4 is indicated as closecl by a plug, 31. While I have shown a single impinging jet nozzle connected to the stembf theT' shaped coupling, it is obvious that suitable pipe connections may be made to any number of impinging jet nozzles so as to allow a plurality of such nozzles, if de- 3. A fire extinguishinglnozzle, comprising aff; nozzle body having in its walls a plurality of,

pairs of orificesarranged to form impinging jets,

said nozzle having an inlet adapted for attach ment toa water supply. system, a valve head within said body adapted to close said inlet,'a stem passing through said body normallycontactingfQ said'head for holding the same in the closed po-ij sition, said stem passing, loosely through said body, a valve seat attached to said body throughff which said stem extends, a second valve head on said stem and above'said orifices adapted to be moved to closingposition bythe movement of said 1" stem for opening the first valveheadand a. fusible link means, for controlling the movement of" said stems 4. In 'a device of the class described, a combination with a sprinkler head having a fusible} 1 link, a nozzle having a plurality 01 pairs of ori flees in its wallsarranged to form impinging jets, means for attaching the said nozzle to said head associated; with said stem for contacting said second-mentioned valve seat and closing the inlet of said sprinkler head upon release of said fusible link means. l

5. In a device of the class described, a sprinkler head having an outlet, a valve for closing the said outlet, 3. fusible link means normally maintaining the said valve closed, a water supply means, a nozzle interposed between the said sprinkler head and water supply means and provided with a plurality of pairs of orifices for forming impinging jets, a valve head for closing the inlet to said nozzle, a second valve head for closing vthe inlet to the said sprinkler head, a stem upon which both the said valve heads are secured extending from the said nozzle inlet valve head to the said sprinkler outlet valve so that upon operation of the said fusible link means to open the nozzle inlet valve the sprinkler inlet valve is closed.

THOMPSON W. BURNAM. 

